Tickets for Ed Sheeran’s tour of the UK and Ireland sold out in a matter of minutes – with thousands of fans clamouring to secure a place at one of the Suffolk singer’s live shows in April and May.

Many Ed Sheeran fans were initially met with a black screen while trying to buy tickets for his new tour

The rush was so great that many online buyers were directed to a holding page, advising that ticket staff were dealing with the “maximum possible number of bookings”.

Some disappointed fans took to social media, with one declaring he had “more chance of winning the lottery”. Another admitted skipping exams to try – but still failed to make the transaction.

Ed Sheeran fans confided their frustration at struggling to buy tickets for his tour

Others shared their delight at bagging a space at one of his concerts, boasting: “Got my Ed Sheeran tickets. I’m so happy.”

A few less sympathetic users took the chance to tease those unfortunate fans who lost out.

Pre-sales tickets for the Suffolk singer’s tour, which includes dates in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham , Glasgow and Dublin, sold out in equally quick time.

Ed had urged fans to buy resale tickets via Twickets – a company he teamed up with to “protect against fraud and hideous overpricing”.

However, tickets were soon being sold on some other secondary ticketing websites for as much as £660 each.

Ed’s return to the limelight this year has already seen him achieve music history as the first artist to occupy the top two positions in the UK Singles Chart with Castle on the Hill – his “love song for Suffolk” – and Shape of You.

After touring the UK and Ireland, he heads to Latin America for concerts in Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.

The chart-topping star, who grew up in Framlingham, had said he would like to perform at Portman Road, in Ipswich, though dates have yet to be agreed.

A ward councillor concerned about the closure of one of Ipswich’s largest care homes has said she is “puzzled” by the lack of demand for its services – as fellow health leaders claim they are seeing a spike in older people needing care, not a fall.